Microsoft announced last week that it has sold 100 million licenses for Windows 8 since the software’s release six months ago, approximately the same number it sold for Windows 7 in the same time range at its release. The company made bold changes to its software, which included replacing the traditional interface with a screen of tiles. However, there has a been a negative reaction from some customers and the company admits the moves may have been too aggressive. A soon-to-come update may help those who are disappointed. Continue reading Will Windows Blue Help Customers with Learning Curve?

Many companies plan to lower costs by encouraging employees to bring their own electronic devices to work. Gartner released a study that predicts the number of workers using mobile apps in the workplace will double by 2015. “BYOD strategies are the most radical change to the economics and the culture of client computing in business in decades,” claims David Willis, VP and analyst at Gartner. “The benefits of BYOD include creating new mobile workforce opportunities, increasing employee satisfaction, and reducing or avoiding costs.” Continue reading BYOD: Companies Encourage Employees to Bring Their Own

Nielsen has scheduled a pilot program for its previously announced Digital Program Ratings, intended to measure online TV audiences. Broadcast and cable entities including ABC, AOL, A+E, CBS, Discovery, Fox, NBC and Univision are scheduled to participate in the ratings system testing May through July. The pilot program is the next step toward a broader commercial rollout, anticipated to launch later this year. Continue reading Pilot: Nielsen Digital Program Ratings to Measure Online TV

Swedish-based video-on-demand firm Voddler has launched LiveShelf, which the company describes as the world’s first legal film storage and sharing service. It is currently available to users in Scandinavia and Spain, with expansion into Europe and Russia expected shortly. The product combines digital locker technology with file sharing, allowing users to invite friends to stream their legally acquired films via the Internet. Continue reading Voddler Launches Legal Movie Storage and Sharing Service

Many were perplexed when Intel revealed it would launch a TV service. But the company, along with other giants such as Apple, Google and Microsoft have wrestled for years with how to become TV providers amidst a market ripe for disruption. And as the pay TV landscape continues to shift, with new emerging social and mobile opportunities, tech companies are well-positioned to step in and exploit. Continue reading Slumping PC Sales: Will TV Service be the Answer for Intel?

In a room at the back of the Cisco NAB booth (North Hall, A113), and in a few session presentations by UK VP of technology Simon Parnall, Cisco is showing its vision of the next generation of in-home audiovisual experiences. The company has prototyped a system that allows browsers to work among multiple tiled screens, seamlessly joined in any configuration, and built into walls in the home. Continue reading NAB 2013: Cisco Unveils Vision of its Second Screen 2.0

According to the Wall Street Journal, there is no doubt that the smartphone is the current, dominant computing device. Just consider the numbers: Nearly 700 million smartphones were shipped worldwide last year, according to Strategy Analytics. That’s nearly twice as many PC shipments. And it was only a few years ago that PCs were atop that statistic. Now people are using smartphones for a wide variety of functions. Continue reading Tech Giants Battle to Control Evolving Mobile Experience

Eye-tracking technology is on the rise. Previously found mostly in the healthcare industry as aids for those with impaired mobility, it is now being incorporated into mass market consumer electronics for gaming and everyday tasks. While touchscreens have helped curb the need for some clunky hardware extras, eye-tracking technology could be the next step in finally weaning the PC off the keyboard and mouse. Continue reading Eye-Tracking Technology Coming to Mobile Devices and PCs

Electronic Arts chief exec John Riccitiello is set to resign in the wake of the videogame company’s disappointing earnings and stock figures. EA announced that Larry Probst, current EA chairman and former CEO, would serve as executive chairman while the board searches for a replacement for Riccitiello. In a letter to his employees, Riccitiello took responsibility for the “shortcomings” in EA’s recent results. Continue reading Game News: Electronic Arts CEO Riccitiello to Step Down

Google announced that Andy Rubin, who has overseen the Android mobile operating system since 2004, will step down from his position. The announcement is the latest development in Google’s broad master plan for mobile. In Rubin’s place will be Sundar Pichai, the current head of Google’s Chrome Web browser and Chrome OS project, suggesting a future union between Android and Chrome. Continue reading Google Reveals Mobile Strategy with Android Restructuring

Google’s latest hardware development hit stores last week as the company unveiled its first touchscreen laptop powered by the Google Chrome operating system. Called the Chromebook Pixel, it costs $1,299 for the Wi-Fi only version and $1,449 for the upcoming version with built-in LTE wireless technology for use on-the-go. The LTE version goes on sale in April with Verizon offering special wireless plans for new owners. Continue reading New Google Chromebook Pixel: High Price Tag But Impressive

Technology Review interviews Microsoft’s chief executive Steve Ballmer about Windows 8, which the article refers to as the most ambitious and strangest major product ever released by the software mainstay. Windows 8 was designed to run on smartphones, tablets, laptops, servers and even on supercomputers and provides users with the same interface on any device, with minor variations from one to the next. Continue reading Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Talks Windows 8 and Surface

To better compete in the mobile space, HP plans to adopt Google’s Android operating system for a number of upcoming mobile devices. According to two sources familiar with the matter, the company’s first scheduled Android device will be a high-end tablet featuring NVIDIA’s new mobile Tegra 4 chip, announced at CES in January. The move marks a significant win for Google, adding a major partner to the Android ecosystem. Continue reading Good News for Google: HP Turns to Android for Mobile Devices

“It’s a compelling proposition: all the power and application compatibility of a laptop running a proper desktop operating system, all the portability and convenience of a tablet, all mixed together in one package,” writes Engadget in its in-depth review of the Microsoft Surface Pro. But there were some drawbacks with the previous Surface for Windows RT. Chief among them: app selection. Will the Surface Pro be different? Continue reading Microsoft Hopes to Merge Laptop and Tablet with Surface Pro

“Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system is a combination of two very different user interfaces, with each best used in a different way,” suggests Walt Mossberg. The entire system is touch-based, but only the start screen is fully optimized for touch, while the second interface, the Windows desktop, is best operated with a physical keyboard and mouse or touch pad. Continue reading Windows 8: Laptop/Tablet Hybrids Attempt to Embrace Features